EAST BRIDGEWATER – School Superintendent John Moretti is taking his bumps and bruises online.

Moretti, whose contract with the district ends on June 30, has gotten into an online war of words with some town officials who aren’t happy with his decisions in leading the 2,300-student school district.

Selectmen Chairman Brian Connors recently blasted Moretti and some School Committee members on Facebook for “recklessly” spending tax dollars after the committee voted for the district to run its own food service and special education transportation programs next school year. Both services are currently privatized.

Moretti, in turn, responded on Facebook.

“I have been vilified on Facebook ... I would like to respond to the hysteria that Selectman Connors and his minions are attempting to create,” Moretti wrote.

Connors responded by posting to Facebook March 24: “Mr. Moretti should not be calling taxpayers and parents of this town ‘minions.’ These ‘minions’ are our family, neighbors and friends, all of whom pay his salary.”

While the online exchanges are nothing new, one social media expert urged public officials and employees to use caution before clicking the “send” button when commenting on a social website.

“If folks choose to use it in this way, they have to be willing to deal with the social ramifications,” said Ed Cabellon, who oversees technology project management and education development at Bridgewater State University.

Those ramifications might include, for a public official, a drop in approval ratings or the loss of votes, he said.

“It involves more than the sender and receiver,” Cabellon said. “They shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve given access and it amplifies that message that other people can partake.”

Connors could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Moretti said he is not a fan of social media, but he felt compelled to post a response to Connors’ recent Facebook post.

“I don’t have a Facebook page. I don’t do it. I don’t read it,” Moretti, 65, said Tuesday. “But something was brought to my attention that I felt that I had to respond to and I did.”

School Committee Chairman George C. McCabe Jr. said Connors’ use of Facebook “to govern is beyond unprofessional.”

“I feel that his posts were an attempt to mislead the people, frighten some ... It’s just totally inappropriate,” McCabe said.

Connors and Moretti made their online comments after the School Committee voted March 20 to have the district run its own food service program in the 2014-15 school year, after privatizing it several years ago. The district plans to hire about 12 food service employees, of which four will be full-time, Moretti said.

Page 2 of 2 - School officials have also done away with a private contract with Lucini Bus Lines for its special education transportation. The district has since ordered 15 vans and plans to hire about 13 part-time van drivers to transport special education students, officials said.

“By taking it back and making it in-house, we feel pretty confident we’ll be saving $110,000,” McCabe said.

Both McCabe and Moretti said the food service and transportation moves are more cost-effective for the district.

The moves come as the district has cut nine school positions next year, including a kindergarten teacher, a speech pathologist, four teaching assistants and two secretaries.

Moretti has since posted a message on his official schools Web page about his disdain for social media.

“In ancient times, like the ’50s and ’60s, if you had a disagreement with someone you kept it private and tried to resolve it in a gentlemanly fashion,” Moretti wrote. “If that didn’t work, you both went home with bumps and bruises.”